Lucknow: In a major breakthrough, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested a key member of an interstate drug trafficking syndicate from Lucknow. The accused was found in possession of 25 grams of cocaine (estimated international value: ₹25 lakh) and 50 grams of synthetic drug mephedrone (MD) (estimated value: ₹5 lakh).
Seized Items:
-
25 grams of cocaine
-
50 grams of mephedrone (MD)
-
Two ATM cards
-
One Aadhaar card
-
One driving license
-
One mobile phone
-
₹1,020 in cash
Place and Time of Arrest
The STF team arrested the accused, identified as Prem Babu, near Prerna Park, Sector-8, in the Radio Colony area of Ghazipur police station limits in Lucknow during the evening hours of May 6.
STF Operation Details
The UP STF had been receiving credible intelligence for some time about the increasing activity of drug traffickers in Lucknow and adjoining districts. Based on these alerts, different STF units were tasked with gathering intelligence and initiating crackdown operations.
Under the supervision of DySP Avnishwar Chandra Srivastava, and led by Inspector Santosh Kumar Singh, the STF team comprising Sub-Inspectors Ramashankar Chaudhary, Shailendra Upadhyay, Suraj Kumar, Chetan Singh, Sunil Mishra, and Constable Sudhir Kumar, conducted surveillance in the area.
Acting on a tip-off from a reliable source, the team intercepted the suspect near Prerna Park in Sector-8 and carried out a swift operation that led to his arrest. Upon frisking, they recovered the narcotics and other items listed above.
Accused’s Confession
During interrogation, Prem Babu admitted to being a member of an organized drug trafficking network. He revealed that he previously worked at a hotel in Lucknow, where he came into contact with members of the syndicate. Later, he began supplying narcotics sourced from a Nigerian national based in Palampur, New Delhi.
On the morning of May 6, he had flown to Delhi and collected the contraband, returning to Lucknow by bus later that day for distribution.
Legal Action
An FIR has been registered against the accused at Ghazipur Police Station, Lucknow under FIR No. 151/2025, invoking relevant sections of the NDPS Act (8/22). Further legal proceedings will be undertaken by the local police.
This arrest is being seen as a crucial step in the STF’s ongoing campaign against the narcotics trade in Uttar Pradesh, highlighting the growing inter-state network of synthetic and high-value drugs.
